The first Harry Potter book came out in 1997. In the 14 years since then, some of the many fans of the book and movie series have tried to bring the world of the young wizard and his friends to reality. Take, for example, the sport of Quidditch.

There is, in fact, an ACTUAL National Quidditch League and an International Quidditch Association. They even have a World Cup (like in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). The International Rules are based on a game devised at Middlebury College in 2005, and it's now the basic model used throughout the United Kingdom, the United States and much of the rest of the world. Obviously, no magical Golden Snitches (which are supposed to be quasi-sentient, flying balls) are available, so instead individual players take on the role. Everyone is still required to run around on brooms, however.

Yes, that's right. People are running around on brooms in this sport, kind of like our grandparents used to do with those toy horses that freakishly were just a creepy-looking, lifeless, severed horse head at the end of a broom handle.

Read about the other things from Harry Potter that have become a part of the real world at Ranker. Link-Thanks, Brian!

Quidditch is so much fun, and when you play it consistently on a team it loses its strong connection with Harry Potter. I pick up my broom and head to practice and we work on drills like any other sports team would, and talk about things that aren't Harry Potter. It's also full contact, it gets tough. I've broken my glasses twice, I've seen someone get their ribs cracked before, and there is no shortage of bruises and jammed fingers.